Immigration and deportation: Obtaining legal status in California

February 09, 2013 (Press-News.org) Immigration and deportation: Obtaining legal status in California

Article provided by Law Offices of Mark A. Davis
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The American dream is not an ideal only known to the American people. Many individuals from other countries know of it too and try to come to the United States in order to create a better life for themselves and their family. In recent years, much debate has surrounded immigration with some states taking a harsh stance on the issue. A recent bill in California appears to have a different view.

The recent veto

Recently a bill in California would bar local officers from following through with federal detention requests for illegal immigrants except when those requests are for a serious or violent felony. The honoring of the requests results in a criminal deportation for any undocumented immigrant with a certain felony conviction. Many in support of the proposed measure feel it is a race-neutral answer to the politically charged Arizona immigration law that allows peace officers to check identifying documents for the purposes of determining a person's legal status.

However, when the bill came to Gov. Brown's desk, he clamed that he had to veto the measure as is. According to Reuters, the governor felt the measure did not cover individuals who committed certain serious crimes, including drug trafficking, selling weapons and possibly child abuse. Legislators, however, are not giving up and plan to re-draft the bill and propose it to the governor again, hopefully January.

Increasing deportations

According to information provided by the Department of Homeland Security, the number of deportations has reached all time high numbers in 2011 and appears to be on the same path this year. Nearly 400,000 foreign born individuals were deported in 2011 and because of that high number, racial profiling is starting to become a real concern.

Because of the election, the topic of immigration has been placed front and center, but it is still difficult to know exactly how a second Obama Administration will address the issue and how Congress will respond.

Seeking legal status

With deportation on the rise, it is that much more important to try to obtain legal status. Legal status means more than just simply being "legal" to many individuals and with it comes a sense of pride.

The process of obtaining legal status can be difficult and no one should face this obstacle on his or her own. Working side-by-side with an experienced immigration attorney brings forth a world full of benefit. Finding such an attorney in California can make all the difference and should be a top priority to anyone looking to obtain legal status.